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Michael J. Fox, Fahrenheit 451, Philadelphia, Sadhguru, and a Japanese Proverb

Michael J. Fox, Fahrenheit 451, Philadelphia, Sadhguru, and a Japanese Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on April 7, 2024

Sunday Supplement #152 (April 7th, 2024)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Acceptance doesn’t mean resignation; it means understanding that something is what it is and that there’s got to be a way through it.”

– Michael J. Fox

Book of the Week:

Fahrenheit 451 – Ray Bradbury

My 6th-grade teacher gave me Fahrenheit 451 to read. It was one of those door-opening moments in the world of literature, and it’s one of the few books I’ve read more than once.

The dystopian novel follows fireman Guy Montag, whose job is to burn books that the government has outlawed.

Montag’s life changes when he meets a neighbor who reads books. He then embarks on his own journey of reading, which leads him to flee the city after he is caught.

Fahrenheit 451’s depiction of books filtered out because of people losing interest and the government’s controlling of narratives through media is one of many eery but poignant themes.

Ray Bradbury’s classic won a “Retro” Hugo Award in 2004 and should be on everyone’s classics-to-read list.

Movie of the Week:

Philadelphia

1993’s Philadelphia follows Andrew Beckett as his law firm fires him because of his HIV condition and his subsequent wrongful dismissal lawsuit headed by a small-time homophobic lawyer, Joe Miller, as his only willing advocate.

Jonathan Demme (The Silence of the Lambs) brilliantly directs the Ron Nyswaner screenplay. Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington bring the story to life as Beckett and Miller.

I was only two years old when this movie came out, but watching it later gave me an interesting glimpse into the culture at the time.

Philadelphia won two Academy Awards, including Best Actor in a Leading Role for Tom Hanks, and was nominated for an additional three Oscars, including Best Writing.

Brainfood of the Week:

Why Acceptance is Freedom | Sadhguru

I’ve featured Sadhguru in several previous Sunday Supplements. He is an Indian yogi and bestselling author. His YouTube page has over 11 million followers.

In this video, Sadhguru discusses how our personalities can be like filters of likes and dislikes based on our preferences.

The danger of this comes from judging people and situations through our lenses of experience. You can carry many psychological wounds from slights you held onto for years.

Through total acceptance, you can remove the judgment from people and situations.

I find Sadhguru’s videos thought-provoking. They are worth watching and reflecting on. If you enjoy this one, check out my other posts.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Spilt water won’t go back into its tray.” (覆水盆に返らず)

– Japanese Proverb

This Japanese proverb has a Western cousin: “Don’t cry over spilled milk.” I think it’s pretty straightforward, but I like the Japanese Proverb’s translation.

I like the image of trying to force something like water or milk back into its container after it has been spilled.

I find myself guilty of trying to make things perfect or not acting until I think things are in the perfect conditions for action.

This proverb reminds me to think about what is the best usage of our time and energy. Once you’ve accepted something, you can decide how to move forward.

Accept the situation, move forward, and have a blessed week ahead!

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John F. Kennedy, The Dead Zone, The Last Samurai, Kurzgesagt — In a Nutshell, and a Quran Passage

John F. Kennedy, The Dead Zone, The Last Samurai, Kurzgesagt — In a Nutshell, and a Quran Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 31, 2024

Sunday Supplement #151 (March 31st, 2024)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.”

– John F. Kennedy

Book of the Week:

The Dead Zone – Stephen King

I’ve featured several Stephen King books in previous Sunday Supplements, and while I tend to mix up my recommendations, I think there are many King books worth reading. There’s a reason he’s written over 60 books, and all of them are bestsellers.

The Dead Zone follows the lives of Johnny Smith, a high school teacher in Maine who suffered an accident as a child that planted a seed for future events, and Greg Stillson, a door-to-door salesman with grand ambitions.

Johnny and Stillson’s paths cross after Johnny suffers an accident that leaves him in a coma for over five years. He realizes he must thwart Stillson’s ambitions at any cost.

What I love about King’s books is the character building. In The Dead Zone, King brilliantly builds Johnny and Stillson’s characters. What Johnny loses in his five years in the coma, along with Stillson’s growing ambitions, drives the narrative to the heartfelt climax.

If you are curious to check out Stephen King’s works but aren’t a horror fan, this is a solid book to choose for your first read.

Movie of the Week:

The Last Samurai

One of my favorite screenwriters is John Logan. He is the creator/writer of Penny Dreadful and the writer of Skyfall, Hugo, Rango, Sweeny Todd, and Gladiator (among others).

The film follows a US Army veteran who gets hired by the Japanese emperor to train his army in modern warfare and quell the samurai, who are viewed as relics of the past that impede Japan’s westernization. 

The veteran, played by Tom Cruise — (spoiler alert) — is captured by the samurai. The film follows his journey as he ends up being saved by the culture he was hired to destroy.

The film was nominated for four Oscars, including Best Actor in a Supporting Role for Ken Watanabe.

While it’s hard to choose from Logan’s excellent filmography, and I will cop out and not pick a favorite, The Last Samurai competes for the top spot. I highly recommend it.

Brainfood of the Week:

An Antidote to Dissatisfaction | Kurzgesagt — In a Nutshell

I recently stumbled upon Kurzgesagt’s YouTube channel and can’t recommend it highly enough. They are “a team of illustrators, animators, number crunchers, and one dog who aim to spark curiosity about science and the world we live in.”

This video starts by discussing how it’s easy to slip into thoughts of scarcity, inferiority, and negative comparison and how researchers have looked into how to counteract these impulses in the last twenty years.

One of the strongest predictors of how happy people are, how easily they make friends, and how good they are at dealing with hardship is gratitude.

How you experience life is a representation of what you believe about it. If you attack your core beliefs about yourself and your life, you can change your thoughts and feelings, which automatically changes your behavior. 

The above points are just a few of my favorite picks from the video, but its breakdown of gratitude, its evolution, and how to practice it make the video well worth watching.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“For whoever is grateful, it is only for their own good.”

– Surah Luqman 31:12

This Quran passage discusses gratitude to God. However, I don’t think it is necessarily solely limited to a creator; it can encompass what God can represent.

Being grateful for love, your fellow humans, nature, life, etc, all fall under the umbrella of what God represents.

For me, the key point of this passage is the focus on gratitude. Cultivating a habit of gratitude can only be beneficial.

Operating from a perspective of gratitude allows you to see the good in any situation. That doesn’t mean you ignore bad things, but you can always look to the good after you’ve handled or processed the bad.

Practice gratitude, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Kemi Sogunle, Daring Greatly, Magnolia, The School of Life, and a Bible Passage

Kemi Sogunle, Daring Greatly, Magnolia, The School of Life, and a Bible Passage

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 24, 2024

Sunday Supplement #150 (March 24th, 2024)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Embrace vulnerability so that you can be set free from fear.” 

– Kemi Sogunle

Book of the Week:

Daring Greatly – Brené Brown

I’ve featured a few Brené Brown quotes and videos in previous Sunday Supplements, but this is the first time I’ve featured one of her books.

Daring Greatly is a New York Times bestseller that delves into vulnerability and shame. It is an excellent self-help book with many gems worth picking up.

Brené Brown highlights Theodore Roosevelt’s The Man in the Arena quote and uses it as a guidepost for overcoming shame, embracing vulnerability, and daring greatly.

For me, the best parts of the book were where Brown broke down the origins of fear, shame, and guilt, which helped me understand how to embrace vulnerability.

I recommend checking out Brené Brown’s talks to get an idea of her work. If you like what she speaks about, check out this book. 

Movie of the Week:

Magnolia

Paul Thomas Anderson is probably best known for There Will Be Blood, The Master, and Licorice Pizza, but I think Magnolia is arguably his best film.

Magnolia features an ensemble cast that includes Tom Cruise, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, William H. Macy, Alfred Molina, Melora Walters, and John C. Reilly.

The film is a mosaic of interrelated characters in the San Fernando Valley attempting to find happiness, forgiveness, and meaning.

I’ve only seen this film a couple of times because it is a tough watch. The acting, directing, and writing are brilliant, though.

I recommend Magnolia with the warning that it is a bit of a downer, but it is a powerful film you’ll likely remember long after watching it.

Brainfood of the Week:

The Importance of Vulnerability | The School of Life

I’ve featured The School of Life in ten previous Sunday Supplements. They make content from psychologies, philosophers, and writers devoted to helping people live calmer and more resilient lives.

This video starts by discussing how we often can look to hide from vulnerability to avoid mockery and humiliation. We try to appear more normal or extraordinary than we are.

Ultimately, vulnerability can be a natural route to connection and respect. It’s humanizing and helps us relate to others.

There is a bad type of vulnerability, though, where it seeks to take advantage of others and comes from a selfish place.

This School of Life video is a nice introduction to the topic of vulnerability. I highly recommend their channel.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“In my Father’s house are many mansions: If it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

– John 14:2

This passage from the Bible has often been claimed to refer to heaven having endless availability to those worthy of a place.

I came across another interpretation that I thought was an interesting metaphor proclaiming that God’s house has many religions/spiritual traditions.

When I consider the overlap between these traditions, this concept of multiple spiritual practices/religions all touching on a similar message seems plausible.

It can be comfortable to exclude others or view those outside your circles as wrong or unsafe. However, we should try to remain vulnerable and open to including other people and ideas.

Try to face your fears, move forward, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Maya Angelou, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Hitch, Carol Dweck, and a Tao Te Ching Verse

Maya Angelou, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay, Hitch, Carol Dweck, and a Tao Te Ching Verse

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 17, 2024

Sunday Supplement #149 (March 17th, 2024)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.”

– Maya Angelou

Book of the Week:

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay – Michael Chabon

Michael Chabon’s The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 2001.

The novel follows two Jewish cousins before, during, and after World War II. Kavalier is a young artist who smuggled himself out of Nazi-invaded Prague. He joins his cousin in Brooklyn, and the two delve into the emerging comic book scene.

The cousins partner to make their own comics, and the novel follows their journey from youth to adulthood while pursuing this craft.

I thoroughly enjoyed the novel, which had amazing depth. The growth of the characters throughout the story was brilliantly explored.

For those interested in a classic American fiction novel, I highly recommend The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.

Movie of the Week:

Hitch

One of my favorite Rom-Coms, Hitch, hasn’t always received the best review. I still think it is worth the watch.

The film follows a “date doctor” who falls in love with a cynical columnist while he helps a shy account try to woo an heiress. 

The “date doctor” is a man, played by Will Smith, who helps other men get dates with women. I think the criticism the movie gets is usually misplaced about this concept.

My favorite element of the movie is how the story pokes fun, and sometimes in a serious fashion, about the gender roles and societal norms of the dating world.

Even though this movie doesn’t get a lot of love, I recommend it and would be curious to discuss it with anyone interested.

Brainfood of the Week:

Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck | Stanford Alumni

Stanford University psychologist Carol S. Dweck researched the power of mindset and how we think about our talents and abilities can significantly influence our success.

Dweck discusses studies on students who exhibit a growth mindset by viewing “failure” as an opportunity to learn more versus students who viewed failure as a judgment passed on them.

The students with a fixed mindset responded that they were more likely to cheat on following exams, find others who did worse to make them feel better, or avoid more tests.

I’ve featured Carol Dweck’s book on growth and fixed mindsets in Sunday Supplement #97. If you enjoyed this video, check it out.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“Knowing other people is intelligence; knowing yourself is wisdom. Overcoming others takes strength; overcoming yourself takes greatness. Contentment is wealth.”

– Tao Te Ching

I read Ursula K. Le Guin’s translation of Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching a few months ago. I found its verses beautiful and thought-provoking.

This verse reminds me how vital self-work is to living a full life. We often look outside of ourselves for examples of growth, but working to better oneself can bear the most fruit.

We don’t always have control over external situations, but we do have control over how we respond to them.

I think working on yourself, healing your past traumas, and understanding your behaviors are some of the best uses of our time.

Continue to work on yourself, and have a blessed week ahead!

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Jeanne Moreau, Start With Why, Adaptation, Einzelgänger, and an African Proverb

Jeanne Moreau, Start With Why, Adaptation, Einzelgänger, and an African Proverb

Published by Drew Alexander Ross on March 10, 2024

Sunday Supplement #148 (March 10th, 2024)

Below is another Sunday Supplement with a quote worth sharing, a book worth reading, a movie worth watching, brainfood worth consuming, and a spiritual passage worth pondering.

Please take something away from these recommendations that enriches your week ahead!

Quote of the Week:

“Life is an accomplishment and each moment has a meaning and you must use it.”

– Jeanne Moreau

Book of the Week:

Start With Why – Simon Sinek

I’ve featured Simon Sinek in many previous Sunday Supplement posts, but mainly as a Brainfood of the Week post.

This is the first time I’ve posted about his books. I only read the book a few weeks ago, but it’s easily one of my favorite nonfiction books.

In Start With Why, Sinek breaks down different historical people and companies and how they created a lasting impact.

Sinek’s examination of how so many companies fail to act from a place that resonates with the people they want to attract is profound.

I cannot recommend this book more highly because it gives an excellent insight on where we should operate from as people and through industry.

Movie of the Week:

Adaptation

Charlie Kaufman is known for his bizarre and existential movies, such as Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Being John Malkovich.

Kaufman’s screenplay Adaptation is my favorite movie of his. It is excellently directed by Spike Jonze and has a brilliant cast that includes Nicolas Cage, Meryl Streep, Chris Cooper, Brian Cox, Tilda Swinton, Ron Livingston, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.

Adaptation tells the story of a screenwriter who suffers from writer’s block as he struggles to adapt Susan Orlean’s nonfiction book The Orchid Thief.

If you haven’t seen any of Kaufman’s work, a forewarning: his stories are bizarre. The humor and satire about the Hollywood industry in this movie are fantastic.

Kaufman’s movies are hard to summarize, but if you like quirky movies, give this one a try. The final act is an interesting meta-critique of Blockbuster films. Let me know what you think.

Brainfood of the Week:

Stop Trying to Get It And You’ll Have It | The Backwards Law | Einzelgänger

This video discusses Alan Watts’ Backwards Law. It also discusses other philosophers, such as Arthur Schopenhauer and writers, like Mark Manson, in relation to the law.

The Backwards Law states the more we pursue something, the more we achieve the opposite of what we truly want and the more disappointed we feel.

Einzelgänger states the difference between external pursuits and internal desires. Wanting to run marathons and working toward it is a good thing, whereas setting a goal as a benchmark for happiness is a trap.

The video explores how the theory works in practice, not just in concept, and there are many gems from this video worth picking up.

I’ve featured Einzelgänger’s channel in previous Sunday Supplements. If you’ve enjoyed this video, check out the other posts or his channel on YouTube.

Closing Spiritual Passage:

“A person is a person because of other people.”

– African Proverb

This African proverb, which Desmond Tutu has quoted, refers to the word/philosophy of Ubuntu: “I am because we are.”

For me, this proverb reminds me how important community and our own actions are to the shaping of lives.

So many things can impact our lives, but people are probably the most impactful on other people’s lives. Whether these are people in our lives, the people we see on television, or the people we read about in books, they can influence our perceptions.

I think it’s essential to filter other people’s influences on us to ensure we’re allowing the best to get through. Knowing that our actions and others can have significant effects is also important.

Make sure you see the meaning in your life, and have a blessed week ahead!

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